Machine for knitting seamless fleece-lined hose



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. WRIGHTSON. MAGHINE FORKNITTING SEAMLESS FLEBGB LINED HOSE.

No. 569,702. Patented Oct. 20, 1896.

lNv'ENTOR:

1 (No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 2.

I A. WRIGHTSON. MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLE$S FLEECE LINED HOSE No. 569,702. Patented 001;. 20, 1896.

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(No Model.)

A. WRIGHTSON. MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS FLEECE LINED HOSE.

Patented O0t. 20, 1896.

INVENTOR;

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(No Model.)

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INVENTOR:

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Patented Oct. 20,

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(No Model.)

A. WRIGHTSON. MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS FLEEGE mm) HOSE.

Patented Oct. 20

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UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

ARTHUR \VRIGHTSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS FLEECE-LINED HOSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,702, dated October 20, 1896.

Application filed January 15, 1896. Serial No. 575,561. (No model.)

To (all whom, it may cancer/1 Be it known that I, ARTHUR WRIGHTSON, aeitizen of. the United States, residing in the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Knitting Seamless Fleece-Lined Hose, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My improvements are applicable more especially to an automatic circular-knitting machine of the type very fully described in an application for Letters Patent of the United States tiled by me September 22, 189i, Serial No. 523,78=l, and consist in certain additional elements adapted to be used in conjunction with such a machine, which additional elements enable me to produce an entirely new article of manufacture, to wit: a fleece-lined seamless hose.

Fleece-lined hose, in so far as it has'becn produced before, has been. knit in a tube and shaped into stockings by cutting, folding, and sewing. My machine automatically produces hose with the heel and toe pockets knit in their respective places and with the entire tubular body and foot of the stocking composed of stockinet.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in central vertical section an eedlecylinder and cam -cylinder and a few accompanying parts as constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the entire cam-groove situated in the interior of the cam-cylinder, developed upon a plane. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion of the exterior of the cam-cylinder, showing the mechanism by which the secondary cams are thrown into and out of action. Fig.4 is a diagram indicating the relative position of the points in the needle-cylinder at which the various threads required in the operation are fed to the needles. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of the secondary cams; Figs. 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, and 12 indicate varying positions of needles, thread, and sinkers in proper sequence to illustrate that portion of the knitting operation performed by my machine which produces the stockinet fabric. Fig.

13 shows, developed upon aplane, the positions of the needles when operated upon by the secondary cams.

Fig. 14 is an enlargement of the stockinet fabric which is knit by the combined action of the primary and secondary cams. Fig. 15 represents the completed articleto wit, aseamless fleece-lined hoseturned inside out.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 represents the bedplate' of the machine. 5-3 is the bearing in this bed -plate within which revolves the stem 4:, the upper end of which forms the needle-cylinder 5, which consists of an expanded lower portion and a contracted upper portion. A series of needle grooves are formed upon the exterior of this needle-cylinder, the upper ends of the partitions between said grooves forming the sinkers "F. lVithin these needle-grooves is a series of needles 8, mounted upon needle-jacks 9, which are formed with shoulders corresponding with the varying diameter of the needle-cylinder. From the backs of these needle-jacks project thebits 10, which are operated upon by the needle-cams, as hereinafter described.

ll is the base-plate of the camcylinder 12, which fits closely around theneedle-cylinder. \Vithin the interior of the cam-cylinder is formed a single annular cam-groove 13,within .which groove the bits of all the needle-jacks are received.

It will be understood that, as in all machines of this class, the leg and foot of the stocking are formed by the continuous revolution of the needle-cylinder within the cain cylinder, which latter during this portioirof the operation is stationary, and that the heel and toe pockets are successively formed bya partial reciprocation of the cam cylinder around the needle-cylinder, which during this portion of the operation is stationary. A machine of this character must therefore be fit ted, in addition to what is shown in the drawings, with mechanism for effecting the revolution of the needle-cylinder, mechanism for effecting the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder, mechanism for effecting at the proper moment the exchange from one of these operations to the other, mechanism for el fectin g the manipulation of the primary knittingcams, and mechanism whereby during the motion of reciprocation the points at which the changes in the position of the cams are effect-ed are themselves changed so as to bring about the narrowing and widening of the V v V W heel and toe pockets. There must also be thread feeding and controlling mechanism. It is further desirable that there shall be mechanism for tightening or loosening the stitch mechanism, for taking up the work as it is completed, and mechanism for automatically stopping the machine. Groups of mechanism accomplishing all these ends have been described in the application to which I have already referred. Many of them are also described, differing more or less in detail, in Letters Patent of the United States No. 424,787, granted April 1, 1890, to Benja-.

min Holt in conjunction with myself, and I do not therefore describe any of these groups or elements in this specification, but merely assume their existence either in the type shown in the specifications which have been referred to or in any other analogous type. The primary cams are partially seen in Fig. 1, cl. They are also seen in Fig. 2, c d. They are termed primary cams because they are employed both during the revolution of the needle-cylinder and during the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder. The operation of these cams and suitable mechanism whereby their manipulation may be effected are fully described in the specifications mentioned. Consequently they are not here described, and

the cam-rods or other analogous devices whereby these cams are operated are not shown in the drawings. In addition to these primary cams there are introduced into the cam-groove upon the side directly opposite to them an upper cam-plate A and a lower cam-plate B, carrying secondary or subsidiary cams. These cams operate only during the revolution of the n eedle-cylin der. During the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder they not only take no part in the knitting operation but are entirely thrown out of action.

I will now proceed to describe in order, first, the mechanisms by which these secondary cams are at the proper time thrown into and out of action, second, the construction of these cams and the movements of the needles which result therefron'l; third,the knitting operation which is effected by the machine thus described, and, fou rth,the product of this knitting operation.

rlfeclzcmc'sm for throwing the secondary cams into and out of aclion.The cam-plates A B, Fig. 2, are received within suitable recesses within theinterior of the cam-cylinder, and are capable of sliding vertically toward or away from each other. In Fig. 2 they are shown in a position in which they are farthest advanced toward each other, i. e., in their operative position. To effect their retraction to their inoperative position, each cam has fixed to it externally a small pin a I). These pins pass through vertical slots in the wall of the cam-cylinder and are controlled externally thereto by the mechanism seen in Fig. 3. This consists of a vertical slide-rod l), which rests upon a roller pivoted upon the outer extremity of the pin 1), and a pivoted lever to, within one extremity of which the pin aislooselyinserted. The other extremity of this pivoted leveris normally depressed by a spring, but is pushed upward against the action of said spring by the upward movement of the slide-rod 1). Thus the'upward. movement of the pin 1) which raises thelower camplate B raises at the same time the slide-rod b, depressing the farther extremity of the pivoted lever, thus driving the upper camplateA down, so that according as the pin Z) is in its upper or lower position will the secondary cams be in their operative or inoperative position.

In machines of this character the accurate stoppage of the motion of either the needle or cam cylinder at the moment that the other begins is effected by a locking mechanism, a part of which may be seen in Fig. 1, where represents a bolt which at the moment of the conclusion of the motion of reciprocation of the cam-cylinder isautomatically shot into acorresponding recess in said cylinder, securely looking it in place. At precisely the moment that the motion of rotation of the needle-cylinder ceases and that of the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder begins this bolt 50 is withdrawn. By means of pins passing through a slide in the bed-plate of the machine a plate e, resting upon the surface of this bed-plate immediately in front of that portion of the cam-cylinder which has just been described, is caused to move backward or forward coincident with the bolt 50. The end of this plate adjacent to the cam-cylinder carries an inclined plane 9. During the motion of the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder this bolt is, by the mechanism which has been described, withdrawn from proximity to the cam-cylinder. The pin Z) is consequently depressed by the action of the slide-rod b and of the spring which has been spoken of, drawing the secondary cams entirely out of action. Immediately before the close of this motion of reciprocation this plate is thrown against the reciprocating cam-ring and the pin 1) is compelled to ride up the inclined plane, raising the rod b and lever a against the action of the spring, the cam-ring coming to a rest in the position shown in Fig. 3. This movement throws the secondary cams into operative position, in which position they continue during the entire period of the motion of revolution of the needle-cylinder. At the close of this operation the plate e is again withdrawn and the cams rendered inoperative.

The construction of the secondary cams and the movements of the needles resulting therefrom will now be described.

In Fig. 5 the lower cam-plate B is shown enlarged. It consists of three raising-cams f g h, alternating with three depressed portions, corresponding with three depressingcams M 70,- formed in the upper plate A. The bits of the needle-jacks are formed of two depths, those of full depth alternating with ICC those of half depth. As far as the action of the primary cams is concerned, this is of no consequence, all the bits being deep enough to be controlled by them. The cam f is of the shape seen in Fig. 5, of only half depth and that a tuck-cam. It therefore does not act upon the bits of half depth, but only those of full depth, and these are raised to only half ortuck height. The cam g is a half-depth full cam combined with a full-depth tuckcain, whereby it advances every other needle to tuck height and the others to full height. The cam h is a full cam and advances all of the needles to their full extent. The depressing-cams are all full depth and need no special description, except to point out that the last one, is, is slightly longer than the other two, t'j, both of which fail to depress the needles quite to their full extent. The action of these cams upon the needles is illustrated in Fig. 13, from which it will be seen that cam f advances every other needle to half or tuck height, cam i depresses all of the needles a little less than their full extent, cam advances every other needle to tuck height and every other needle to full height, cam

j depresses all of the needles a little less than theirfull extent,cam h advances all of the needles to their full extent, and cam is depresses all of the needles to their full extent.

The knitting operation which is effected by the combined action of the primary cams and the secondary cams during the revolution of the needle-cylinder will now be described.

During the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder only a single thread is fed to the needles, (although this thread may be doubled or trebled or reinforced to any extent, in order to strengthen the fabric,) and nothing but a simple operation of knitting is performed. During the rotation of the needle-cylinder four threads are fed to the needles, one of them being the same thread by which the heel and toe pockets are formed and being fed to them in that position where they are advanced by the primary cams, while three other threads are successively fed to them as they are successively advanced by the secondary cams. The relative positions in the circle of the needles at which these threads are fed are indicated in Fig. 4, where m represents the ordinary or facing thread fed into the needles as they are advanced by the primary cams, and n the backing or stockinet thread. 0 is the binder-thread, and p a second facing-thread, the three latter being successively fed to the needles as they are advanced by the three lower secondary cams.

In using the terms facing, backing, and binder thread I use them in the rdinary sense in which they are employed hen speaking of the knitting of stockine the facing being the thread of which the body of the fabric is formed, the backing being a heavier thread, which, when partially disintegrated, forms the fleece lining, and the binder-thread being a fine thread which binds the backing to the facing.

The varying positions of the needles under the influence of the secondary cams are successivelyillustrated in Figs. 6 to 12, inclusive, to the correct understanding of which it must be borne in mind that the needles are divided into two classes, respectively, a; and 1 1, alternating with each other, those lettered so being those mounted upon jacks the bits of which project the full extent, while those lettered y are mounted on jacks whose bits project only half'way.

Fig. 6 illustrates the position of all of the needles of both classes as it is immediately before the commencement of that portion of the knitting operation which is effected by the secondary cams. A single facing-thread m is here contained within the latch of each needle, corresponding to the course of plain loops which has been thrown upon the needies by the operation of the primary cams. As the needles pass cam f, series y remain entirely unaffected, while series :0 advance to half or tuck height, as seen in Fig. 7, and receive the backing-thread n, the advance not being sufficient to throw the loop of facingthread already contained by the needle below the latch. Under the influence of cam 11 all of the needles are next depressed, the result being that, as illustrated in Fig. 8, the latch of series 90 contains both a facing and a back ing thread, while that of series y contains only a facing-thread, the backing-thread being drawn into the upper of the two notches formed upon the sinker, while the first facing-thread is below the second notch and so continues throughout this portion of the operation. As the needles pass cam 9 they are all of them advanced, series w to full height and series y to tuck height, as seen in Fig. 9. The advance of series a: to full height slips both backing and facing thread below the latch, while the half-advance of series y is insufficient to slip the facing'thread contained by it below the latch. During this advance of the two series a binder-thread o is fed into all of the needles. Under the influence of cam j all of the needles are next depressed again nearly to their full extent, as seen in Fig. 10, series a: being depressed sufficiently to slip the backing-thread, which is now below the latch of the needle, over the needle, but not suflicient to slip the facing-thread, which still remains upon the needle, below the latch. Upon series y this retraction has no effect, as there are no threads below the latches of these needles. The action of series a at this point which has just been described requires very delicate adjustment of the cam j, as if both threads be slipped the operation will be a failu re. The slip pin g of the backing-thread alone has the effect of looping it with the bindingthread alone, the result being that the backing-thread is not knit into the body of the fabric. Both series of needles are next adtime a second facing-thread is fed to the needle. Lastly, the depression of all of the needles to their full extent under the influence of cam 7;, as illustrated in Fig. 2, slips the binder and first facingthreads entirely off the needles and causes the second facingthread to form a series of loops with the two threads thus slipped. The needles now all of them contain a single facing-thread and are advanced to their normal extent. Vith the series of single loops thus contained a course of plain loops is next interlooped under the operation of the primary cams, at which point the operation begins to repeat itself.

. The fabric thus formed is illustrated in Fig. 14, where, as will be seen, the body of the fabric is formed of successive loops of facingthread, as in ordinary knitting. lVith every other course of loops a binder-thread has passed under each loop, leaving a free loop on the back of the fabric. Through the free loops thus formed a backing-thread has been passed having no integral connection with the body of the fabric. The merit of this fabric is its extreme simplicity and the simplicity of the operation of the needles by which it is formed. In order to produce the product for which my machine is, designed, it is essential that the cams which knit the stockinet course shall be at times operative and at times inoperative. The complex nature of an automatic stocking-knitter forbids the imposition upon it of another series of complex cam movements, such as have heretofore been used for the knitting of stockinet in combination with a further set of complex cam movements for rendering the cams just spoken of operative orinoperative. In my machine the only requirements for the entire stockinet operation are the needles with alternating full-length and half-length bits, a device which has no effect whatever upon the operation of the remainder of the machine, the introduction of the cam-plates A and B, with the cams formed upon them, as seen in Fig. 5, which are quite simple in construction, and, finally, the equally simple mechanism which has been described for throwing these cams into and out of action. N o resser-wheel or brush-wheel is employed, and the secondary cams and movements of the needles which are effected thereby occupy but avery small portion of the arc of the needle-cylinder. This is also essential, as the entire stockinet-knitting device must be situated upon that part of the machine which is entirely out of the range of the ac tion which takes place during the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder. The fabric thus produced is new in its details, although not differing in principle from stockinet fabrics previously known. The differences in de the machine and that of the manufacture.

The changes in the detail of the fabric have simplified the cam movements by which it is produced sufficiently to render them compatible with an automatic stocking-knitter. while on the other hand the floating backingthread, the invisible binder-thread, the absence of a false rib, and the alternating courses of backing-threads are precisely the elements best suited for the purpose to which I apply them, to wit: a fleece-lined stocking.

The stocking thus produced is a wholly new manufacture, to wit: a seamless fleece-lined hose. This has long been considered a d esideratum unattainable by any known mechan ism. Fig. 15 represents such a stocking turned inside out. It is knit from top to toe without seam by the alternation of the movements which have been described. The heel and toe pockets h t of this stocking, having been formed by the reciprocation of the camcylinder,during which,as has been explained, only the primary cams are operative, and co nsequentl-y only a single thread knit, consists of plain single-loop knitting. This is in itself desirable, as these are the points where a fleece lining, if present, is most liable to become matted int-o balls. All the remainder of the body .9 of the stocking, both above and below the heel, having been formed by the revolution of the needle cylinder, is formed of stockinet. As is usual with material of this sort, after the completion of the fabric the backing-thread, which is on the interior, is passed through a napping or card ing roller, so as to pull the backing-thread out into a soft fleece. This is agreeable to the wearer and adds materially to the warmth of the stocking. The top 1' of the stocking may either be formed of stockinet, as the remainder of the body, or preferably, as'shown in the drawings, it may be formed of ordinary rib knitting, To execute this, it is necessary to transfer the needle-cylinder at the proper point to a cam-cylinder of a different variety and on a different machine capable of executing such work. This, however,forms no part of my present invention.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim- 1. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a needle-cylinder adapted to be rotated; a cam-cylinder adapted to bereciprocated; a cam-groove within said cam-cylinder containing primary and secondary cams, the primary cams being in operative position both during the rotation of the needle-cylinder and the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder; and the secondary cams being in operative position during the rotation of the needle-cylinder but in inoperative position during the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a needle-cylinder adapted to be rotated; a

cam-cylinder adapted to be reciprocated; a cam-groove within said cam-cylinder containing primary and secondary cams, the prim ary cams being in operative position both during the rotation of the needle-cylinder and the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder, the secondary cams being mounted upon a pair of movable cam-plates, and combined with mechanism whereby said cam-plates are advanced or retracted into operative or inoperative position, respectively, duringthe rotation of the needle-cylinder and the reciprocation of the cam-cylinder, substantially as described.

3. In a knittinganachine, the combination of a cam-cylinder having a series of cams mounted upon opposing cam-plates, and mechanism whereby said cam-plates may be advanced or retracted, respectively, into operative or inoperative position, consisting of pin, 12, slide-rod, Z), lever, a, and an inclined plane movable into or out of position to engage with the pin, Z2, substantially as described.

4. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a needle-cylinder fitted with needles mounted upon needle-jacks; bits upon said needlejacks which are alternately halt depth and full depth; a series of cams in position to control said bits, consisting in succession of half-depth tuck-cam f, cam g, being a halfdepth full cam combined with a full-depth tuckcam, and full-depth full cam h, the position of said three cams being coincident with three guides for backing, binding and facing threads, respectively, substantially as described. Y

5. In a knitting-machine, the combination of a needle-cylin der fitted with needles mounted upon needle-jacks; bits upon said needlejacks which are alternately half depth and full depth; a series of cams in position to control said bits, consisting in succession of half-depth tuck-cam f, cam g, being a halfdepth full cam combined with a full-depth tuck-cam, and full-depth full cam It, said raising-cams alternating with three depressingcams, of which the first and second are less than full length, the said three raising-cams being coincident with three guides for backing, binding and facing threads, respectively, substantially as described.

6. As an article of manufacture, a stocking knit from top to toe without seam, with heel and toe pockets formed of plain knitting and the remainder (except the rib top, if present) formed of stockinet interiorly fieece-lined, substantially as set forth.

7. As an article of manufacture, a seamless, fleece-lined stocking, formed throughout with a continuous facing of plain knitting and lined within, except at the heel and toe pockets, with fleece, substantially as set forth.

ARTHUR WRIGI-ITSOK.

Vitnesses:

G. HERBERT JENKINS, JAMES H. BELL. 

